Solomon Phelps

Transcript of a letter from Solomon Phelps to his father Charles Phelps Sr. written while attending Harvard on June 28, 1761

Solomon Phelps of Marlborough, Vermont, the first son of Charles and Dorothy (Root) Phelps, was born in Hadley on November 5, 1740. Solomon received a degree from Harvard in 1762. In 1764, the Phelps family moved to Marlborough to found a college where Solomon would serve as the preceptor. They constructed an impressive building with a lecture hall, dormitories, and a library, but the project was never completed. Instead, Solomon preached when the opportunity arose, including as far as Nova Scotia.

In 1769, Governor Henry Moore of New York appointed Solomon as an attorney, but by 1775, he recognized the growing discontent among the people toward New York's governance and the potential for revolt. Solomon served on the Committee of Safety for Cumberland and led a militia during the conflicts. Throughout, he remained dedicated to preaching in Marlborough. Following the conflicts, the Supreme Court of Vermont seized the library at the college, likely for Solomon’s father (Charles)’s debts. Solomon never married and family letters often describe him as depressed or erratic in his behavior. He died by suicide in 1790.